This is my 100th post to the blog.Â When I started it three-and-a-half months ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect (ie. would anyone find the blog let alone read it?). It is still very much a work in progress.Â However,Â I have been encouraged by all the (mostly positive) feedback I have received — both from the practioners in the field and citizens throughout the U.S. and in other parts of the world. I have been excited and gratified by the interest and involvement of the readers.Â

So, I thought it would be appropriate for the 100th post to incorporate a terrific reader suggestion, which luckily arrived this week. In an email, Bruce Hennes, a crisis communications consultant from Cleveland asked:

“I write with a request:Â With the presidential contest going on right now and more competitive House and Senate seats than anytime in the recent decade, it would be very appropriate, I would think, for your readers to pepper candidates for political office with questions about preparedness, especially questions that get the candidates to move beyond the platitudes.Â I would like to see your blog address that question, perhaps even providing a complete list of those questions.”

So, in theÂ days to come I will be contacting the campaigns of both Senator Obama and Senator McCain to get their positions and ideas on citizen preparedness and engagement. And I will post the answers on the blog. (Bruce also recommended I put together a list of questions that readers can ask local candidates to find out their ideas on citizen readiness which I will do as well.)

Thank you Bruce for the suggestions. And thanks to everyone who has been reading and contributing to this blog over the past three-and-a-half months. I hope that together we can have a positive impact on the preparedness of the American public.

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2 responses so far ↓

It is due time this issue needs addressed, but I am not certain it could be accomplished in this political campaign, due to the current state of issue priorities or true caring for the people.
From a personal perspective, I want to believe the people in the Americas are in a sad condition in regard to preparedness for any emergency situation which would arise and most have forgotten or ignored such events as 911 or Katrina, as well as other events or possible future events. Having studied this situation extensively, both from scientific and historic perspectives, I intend to, and have already began to make an attempt to handle my own preparedness, for both myself and family, as best I can, being aware of possible future needs.